Happy New Year!

Celebrating New Year's Eve, 1940,
Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles

Los Angeles Daily News, UCLA Digital Archive

Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting on "L.A. Is My Beat" in 2010. I do appreciate your attention. Have a happy, healthy and safe 2011!

The Best Times

Just returned from a New Year's Eve Eve lunch with some old friends from my school days. We went to the Chado Tea Room on 3rd St. in West Hollywood. The High Tea Luncheon is divine! We had so much to gab about, that we spent about 3 hours there. I love being a lady of leisure during this week between the holidays!

Erlin

Gayle and Marcy

Erlin and Lynn

Happy New Year to my friends, old and new!

Enough Already!

Cars, stalled on Venice Blvd. and Greenfield Street, Mar Vista,
December 1940, Herald-Examiner

OK! Rant time. I've had it with the rain! The ground in L.A. is soaked from the rain last week. Houses, trees, bushes and roadsides are all slip-sliding away! Time to bring out the sun!

Hollywood Citizen News/Valley Times Collection, 1959.
"Rain maiden-- Miss Linda Cape, North Hollywood,
checks for more rain after slight sprinkle dampened top of her convertible.
Weather defied weather men's predictions and dumped scattered splatters of rain on Valley."

Ballona Creek

I'm on vacation this week and extremely busy being on vacation!!!

Here are a couple of photos that Larry took last week of the rain rushing down Ballona Creek to the ocean. This is the overpass at Thurman between Venice and Washington Blvds., Mid-City L.A. We're supposed to have another storm either tonight or tomorrow. Batten down the hatches!

Ballona Creek photos by Larry Underhill

Holiday Weekend

Yes, it was a lovely holiday weekend! Vacation from work this week....shopping, knitting, crocheting, getting together with friends!

KTLA-TV's Yule Log Fire w/Holiday Music!

2010 Holiday Hat

Vintage Photo Friday

Seasons Greetings from Holiday High School

2010 was the Year of the Reunion for us. We both celebrated our high school reunions this year....mine from Beverly Hills High School, Larry's from Birmingham High School in the San Fernando Valley. Since the reunion took up so much of our time and effort, we thought we'd highlight that in our holiday card.

Today is my Auntie Mae's birthday. My Mom, Mae and Mae's daughters, Marilyn and Carolyn, along with Marilyn's daughter, Jackie are going to Spago for lunch to celebrate. I do love being in downtown Beverly Hills during the holidays, especially when I don't have to buy anything other than lunch! The decorations and shop windows are always so wonderful.
When I was a kid, I did most of my Chanukah and Christmas shopping on Beverly Drive. We used to ride our bikes there, listen to records at the Gramophone Shop, check out the new Barbie doll clothes at Toy Mart and then do our serious shopping at Newberry's. Can you imagine that Newberry's Five and Dime Store used to be on ritzy Beverly Drive in the middle of Beverly Hills?!! How times have changed!

Happy Holidays everyone!

WeHoHoHo Holiday Hat Party

It's tonight! At the Original Farmers Market, 3rd & Fairfax, 7-9pm, Upstairs Dining Room. There will be prizes!! Bring a treat and join us, even if you don't wear a hat!

Givin' and Gettin'

I've been scurrying around like a mad little elf trying to get everything ready to mail and give to my friends and family for the holidays. My dear cousin, Barbara sent me a totally unexpected gifty the other day. Barbara lives in New York and passes by one of my fave shops on a daily basis, Purl SoHo. She spied this fabric and sent me a few yards. Glasses for me and Cameras for Larry! I love them both. I'm thinking a few throw pillows for the couch would be perfect!!! Thanks, Barbara!

My sister-in-law, Ginny loves purple. For her b-day I sent her an Oilcloth International tote bag in a purple print. She LOVED it and asked if I could find her the same print in just plain oilcloth for her table. Easy. I zoomed over to Wacko last week and picked up a few yards. To go along with the oilcloth, I crocheted some pretty little cotton coasters. I hope she likes them.

Sunshine Coasters

I just couldn't think of anything clever to give my brother, Ken, so I went over to the Country General Store in Van Nuys and bought him a serviceable Levi denim shirt. I know he'll wear it. I also crocheted him a litttle ditty bag for his various accoutrements he carries with his stringed instruments. I crocheted a guitar pick case out of the same yarn for him a few years back. Now, he has a matching set. I see more little bags in his future!

Doo Wah Ditty Bag

So, have you finished crafting or buying your holiday gifts?

ModCom Xmas Party

Last night the Modern Committee of the Los Angeles Conservancy held their annual Christmas party at Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria, downtown Los Angeles. It was really fun!

Ellen with Baby Noel

ModCom Xmas Party 2010 - free slideshow

Pre-Holiday Weekend

We had an extremely busy weekend! On Friday my company hosted a beautiful holiday party for all of the employees at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. It was deeeeeluxe and everyone had a faboo time.

On Saturday, after running around the entire City in the pouring rain doing my Santa chores, we went to Carol's and Thane's house for a tree-trimming party. Naturally, the food and libation were fantastic. Carol and Thane have this clever knife holder that positively needed a Santa hat, so during the evening, I whipped one up!

Santa Knife Boy

Sunday was spent with family and preparing more gifties!!! I'm still running around like a mad person trying to complete everything! How about you?

Vintage Photo Friday

Sisters, Lena, Fannie, Ida, Freda

Los Angeles 1944

Ever since my Auntie Mae gave me the family photo album, I've been scanning vintage photos of my family. These pix are from my Grandmother's side of the family in Los Angeles. Above is my Grandma Freda with her three sisters in someone's sunny Los Angeles backyard, 1944. Seeing photos of my great aunts when they were young really resonates with me. I love their dresses and their hairstyles! My cousin Myrna (Aunt Lena's daughter) looks so much like her mother! I also see a family resemblance between me and my Grandma Freda.

Howard & Ida Cooper, Sam & Freda Katz
Front: Sisters Roz and Celia Katz

The photo above also looks to be from the early 1940's...probably around 1942. It's my grandparents with Freda's sister, Ida and her husband Howard., along with my Mom and Aunt Celia. Don't you just love Grandma Freda's jaunty hat? My Mom and Auntie Celia sitting in the front look like glamour girls!

Those were the days when everyone dressed up ALL the time...so refreshing! Have a marvelous weekend before the holidays and remember to dress up a bit. You never have a second chance to make a first impression!!

Soo Rak San House of Noodles

Larry and I are always up for a delicious bowl of noodle soup, especially in this chilly winter weather. I read about Soo Rak San on Eat Drink & Be Merry, an L.A. food blog that I like. I usually agree with this blogger's point of view and taste, so we drove over to Soo Rak San last week for dinner. The place is in a mini-mall in Wilshire Center, on Wilshire Blvd. at Wilton Place. It wasn't crowded when we arrived at around 6:45, but by 7:15 most of the tables were filled with happy, slurping customers.

We ordered the pork steamed dumplings and the seafood noodle bowl. Next time I'd like to try those sujebi noodles that the blogger recommended. Our meal was delicious. Little appetizers were served first.

Steamed Dumplings

Seafood and Noodles in Broth

There is a box on each table with stainless steel chopsticks and soup spoons. Stainless steel chopsticks and slippery noodles should not be put on the same table!!! LOL! Next time I'll bring my own wooden chopsticks.Gracing the walls is a bulletin board next to all of the tables with little post-it notes on it. I'm assuming these notes say nice things about the food in Korean! The service is great and the menu has lots of photos of the food on it to help you order.
When you're craving a comforting bowl of noodles, Soo Rak San is the place!

Soo Rak San Noodle House
4003 Wilshire Blvd. ,#1
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 389-2818
Everyday 10 am - 10 pm

The End of Kodachrome

On December 31st, you will no longer be able to have Kodachrome film developed. The very last lab in the U.S. to process this iconic film is Dwayne’s Photo in Parsons, Kansas. Kodak discontinued the sales of Kodachrome awhile back. This is very sad. The clarity, saturation and longevity of this process is legendary. You can read Eastman Kodak's press release here. Kodak Professional Ektachrome100G and EKTAR 100 Film are still available and claim to possess similar qualities to Kodachrome, but Paul Simon didn't write a song about Ektachrome!
Last Saturday Larry took me to The Attack of the 50 Foot Reels Holiday Party at the Echo Park Film Center Annex in Glendale. Flicker Los Angeles is a group focused on giving Super 8 filmmakers an outlet and forum for their short films. Here's how the festival works:

Each filmmaker chooses one roll (50 feet) of KODAK Super 8 film. Tri-x (black & white) Plus-x (black & white) Ektachrome (color) Vision 200 (color negative) Vision 500 (color negative). The filmmakers shoot their films in order, in other words, all editing and cuts that are made, are made IN CAMERA. There are no splicers used. To make sure of this, the filmmakers turn in their "unprocessed" film to Flicker. Flicker hands the film over to Yale film and video for processing. The films are then transferred at Yale to digital video for viewing on the large Egyptian screen. The films are transferred for best color and contrast - NO EDITS or CUTS are made within the content of the film. The filmmakers give flicker their music, soundtrack, soundscape which will be original scores created for their film. The sound is started with the first picture, so if it works it works. It's all up in the air, like life, everyday a surprise. You never know what you're going to get. And that's the way it is with the daring and nervous filmmakers awaiting this year's ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT REELS!

We arrived a bit late to the holiday party, where they showed examples of Kodachrome films and slides, so we didn't see many of the offerings, but we managed to catch a few gems.

We saw a film about the historic dances by the Native Americans of New Mexico, a U.S. Army training film about applying camouflage make-up for the jungle and someone's wedding reception in the late 1950's. The color and vivid images of these films were startling!

camouflage make-up for jungle use

1950's wedding reception

Larry brought a couple dozen slides that he took of the old Spanish Kitchen on Beverly Blvd. before it was vandalized in the mid-1980's. There were many myths surrounding the closing of the once famous Spanish Kitchen. The real story is here. Larry's slides are fantastic. I must have him scan them so I can show them to you!
Flicker L.A. is a cool group. You should definitely check out their calendar, as well as the event schedule for the American Cinematheque!

La Brea Avenue

Tiled Sidewalk on La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles

We stopped by an art show closing at a gallery on La Brea Avenue on Saturday night. It's a very interesting street, between 3rd Street and Beverly Boulevard.

Vintage Holiday Fashions @ American Rag Cie

The light fog made the evening lights glow.

Sycamore Avenue Apartment House

Merry Hexmas!

It was a crafty weekend!
I saw this pattern in a Maggie Weldon Crochet ad for the Granny Christmas Tree Wallhanging. Very cute! I copied it using a size "I" crochet hook and various mystery acrylic. This could be used as an applique for the back of a Christmas sweater!!!

Vintage Photo Friday

Freda and Sam Katz, Los Angeles
Freda is 17 years old in this photo...probably around 1915

I've been in contact with my cousins on my Mom's Father's side of the family lately...the Katz family. I've also been scanning a bunch of old photos. This has been an interesting journey. We have branches of the family in Southern and Northern California, Central California, Louisiana and a few other spots. As far as we can tell, my great-grandparents, Zelek and Frouma Katz immigrated from Vilna, which at times was part of Lithuania, Poland, Belarus and/or Russia. We're not sure who came to the United States first, but we do know that they stopped in Ellis Island and then went directly to New Orleans. My Grandfather, Sam came to Los Angeles as a teenager...his brothers followed. This sounds like an advanced research job for my friend, Danny!
Over the years we lost contact with the Katz side of the family that didn't live in Los Angeles, so it is great to finally unearth all of this information and hear stories about what all of my cousins remember from their parents' and grandparents' stories.
I do remember the photo session below. I was around 4 years old, my brother around 11 and my little cousin, Janet was probably 2-1/2. A professional photographer took posed photos of all of us individually and in groups at Grandma's and Grandpa's house in Beverly Hills.

Freda, Ellen, Sam, Janet, Ken

I do LOVE the look of delight and surprise on my face. I was a happy child. Have a happy and wonderful weekend!!

The Time Has Come

I read online the other day that Tokyo 7-7 Coffee Shop, located in an alley in downtown Culver City is closing. December 18th is it's last day, after 30 years of operation. I've only been here once. The food at lunchtime was OK.  I do see why people loved this place though. It's cheap, cheap, cheap, homey, clean and did I say the prices were inexpensive?

I had lunch here about a year ago after walking past the place for years. I ordered some sort of Japanese beef and vegetable concoction on white rice. Simple and kinda' like Mom used to make.

questionable lunch

I am sorry that I never ordered breakfast here. The breakfast looked a bit fresher and of course, inexpensive!

Portuguese Sausage and Rice with Eggs

The little Tokyo 7-7 shack seems like it was tacked on to the building that fronts Main St. It's definitely mid-20th century in design. The interior is typical coffee shop style, a counter, tables and lots of veneer wood paneling.

The waitresses are nice and very efficient. I'm sure this was a crowded place for lunch in it's heyday with the locals. So, if you're looking for a homey and inexpensive meal, get on over to Tokyo 7-7 before December 18th.

Across the street and down the alley from the historic Culver Hotel

Downtown Culver City has become an entertainment and dining mecca. There are lots of high-end spots there now where once stood low-end, family restaurants and thrift shops. Who knows what uber-fancy wine bar will be taking the place of Tokyo 7-7?
Tokyo 7-7 Coffee Shop

3839 Main St, Ste B, Culver City, CA 90232

(310) 204-5728